"Safety" Gate

[anR]

I guess that what with having the away fans directly next to the main RFC stand (no offence intended North or West standers) there is always going to be those moments where oposing fans exchange heated views.

Well where was the fence after I'd descended the stairs at St James' Park? I was in the middle of all sorts of Geordies. I exchanged pleasent words with some of them, but where was the fence this time? More importantly, why were we not held in our concourse for the benefit of the slight possibility of some trouble? Why is it only RFC that has to do something insanley stupid like erect a fence to complicate leaving the stadium?

BUT what do you think the possibility would be of home & away clashes between a few poeple inside the Mad Stad eventually finding themselves outside. I think that the possibility would be much higher if the gates weren't errected.

You see this must be what the club is thinking, if the 'worry' of crowd trouble is the issue, which I do not think. But if it is, I think they should really stop doing this for a hypothetical reason and start doing something that will literally improve matters.

This fence is just one of the reasons why I shall not be getting the bus this Saturday...

[Harps stay sharp]

Dare I say.

I think some of our supporters need to grow up a bit. You are right their is very little trouble with Premiership clubs, but some of our supporters still have Coca Cola mentality. Stoke, Cardiff, Wolves, Palace, Bristol City have all got young lads that like to give it the big one.

Arsenal, Spurs, Manure, Liverpool not even Chelsea are bothered at home any more, but we've still got a few Chavs unfortunately.

[Matt de K]

If that fence hadn't been there after Chelsea match then there would have definately been trouble outside the ground. If it stops/prevents trouble at least once, then in the eyes of the club it's worth it. And im sure it has

[Royal Lady]

I think a salient point here though is that it is NOT legal requirement however, which is how RFC always try and portray it. That and their staunch disregard for any discussion about keeping the away fans back for a bit.

[RoyalBlue]

If that fence hadn't been there after Chelsea match then there would have definately been trouble outside the ground. If it stops/prevents trouble at least once, then in the eyes of the club it's worth it. And im sure it has

Doesn't stop trouble - just moves it. Normally this is to the A33 relief road outside the retail park or on the corner as the departing home supporters meet the away trouble makers coming the other way. Of course at those points there is far less CCTV and police coverage!

[Harps stay sharp]

The safety gate certainly isn't a legal requirement otherwise every club in the land would have one. The club have in the past though had conversations with the authorities about the safety gate helping crowd segregation and has allowed certain matches to be Police free.

These days you can't just keep away fans back for the sake of it. How would you hold them back, you coudn't contain 2200 away fans in the concourse under the South Stand safely without crushing and there is no way you're going to get people to remain in their seats

At Highbury there was no safety gate but there did used to be a line of police out side the away end preventing Arsenal fans walking up I think it's called Gillespie Road from the North Bank. Millwall certainly have a safety gate and I am sure Wigan had something similar, Highfield Road you had to walk miles round as the direct route was blocked and there must be other grounds around the country that have procedures that maybe aren't a metal gate.

[Jerry St Clair]

At Highbury there was no safety gate but there did used to be a line of police out side the away end preventing Arsenal fans walking up I think it's called Gillespie Road from the North Bank. Millwall certainly have a safety gate and I am sure Wigan had something similar, Highfield Road you had to walk miles round as the direct route was blocked and there must be other grounds around the country that have procedures that maybe aren't a metal gate.

Stoke have one aswell. As did Gillingham a few years ago when I was there.

[RoyalBlue]

With the exception of Wigan, all the clubs mentioned have a far worse reputation for trouble than Reading.

As for it allowing certain games to be police free, you can bet that they would have been virtually police free even had the safety fence not been there because they were very low risk in the first place.

Finally, how come other clubs manage to hold away fans back without any crowd safety/crush problems? It also used to be a widespread practice in far less safe/worse designed grounds than the Mad Stad.

[Jerry St Clair]

Finally, how come other clubs manage to hold away fans back without any crowd safety/crush problems?

I wouldn't say "without problems". I've been to several away games and been kept behind, and there's usually been problems.

Bournemouth was the worst. The police shut the gates just as 2,000+ Reading fans were moving along the terrace to get out. Sheer weight of numbers in the crush forced the gates open.

So, other clubs have done it. Doesn't mean it's right.

[Matt de K]

If that fence hadn't been there after Chelsea match then there would have definately been trouble outside the ground. If it stops/prevents trouble at least once, then in the eyes of the club it's worth it. And im sure it has

Doesn't stop trouble - just moves it. Normally this is to the A33 relief road outside the retail park or on the corner as the departing home supporters meet the away trouble makers coming the other way. Of course at those points there is far less CCTV and police coverage!

Yeah - but this is what i was saying, by making people walk around the whole stadiium - it somewhat potentially defuses the situation. On top of making it harder to actually meet these people outside